It’s October and while that crisp autumn air is a refreshing change from the dog days of summer, fall also means the days are growing shorter and shorter. With decreased daylight, many people start to feel the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). For more info about SAD and how to combat it, check out the video below with Dr. Sanford Auerbach, Director of the Sleep Disorders Center and Associate Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center.
In the age of Twitter and other social media networks, where anyone can "break news," how is traditional journalism changing, who are the true journalists, and what is the difference between news and information? Those were just a few of the interesting questions examined at The Media Landscape: How Social Journalism Is Changing the News Industry, a panel discussion hosted by BU's public relations office on Oct. 12.
Northeast Utilities, a Connecticut-based energy supplier, announced that it will purchase Boston-based NStar for $4.3 billion in stock. The merger will form a company with 3.5 million electric and gas customers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and southern New Hampshire. SMG finance lecturer and an energy risk-management expert Mark Williams comments on the deal.
"Northeast Utlilities announcement to buy NStar for a whopping $4.3 billion is a further sign of consolidation that is happening in the U.S. utility industry. A main driver for this merger is reduction of overlapping cost structures. Providing energy services is increasingly a commodity business yet the twist is that utilities have monopolistic power. This power, and the ability to set price, is only countered by strong state public utility commissions. Its role is to make sure consumers receive dependable power at a fair price.
"The announced merger of Northeast and NStar could provide consumers with cost savings, but it will depend on the strength and ability of public utility commissions to advocate for rate paying consumers."
Today from 12-5PM, Boston University Academy (BUA), along with Scholar Search Associates, is hosting an Educational Forum for Intellectually Curious Students and their Families in the GSU. The Forum will include presentations and roundtable discussions on timely educational issues, as well as an exhibit hall showcasing various local and national resources. BUA's forum is the first in a three-part national series set to be held at Stanford University on January 23, 2011, and the University of Chicago on March 6, 2011. For more information call (860) 664-3586 or visit the website.
Protests over pension reforms in France continue to escalate. Students have joined the protests against President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62. International Relations professor William Keylor offers the following view.
"How ironic is it that 16-year-old high school students are protesting against a campaign to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62. Who says that today's youth (at least in France) is concerned only about issues that directly affect it? It is a reflection of the intense political consciousness of this country as well of the tradition of going into the streets to influence public policy."
Two new electric cars are set to go on sale in November. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are creating much buzz but will consumers react positively to the new vehicles? In a recent Brandweek article, COM professor Tobe Berkovitz says getting the message out can be achieved through marketing.
"Ads can communicate product benefits and show concrete reasons for purchasing an electric car. Ads can also use emotional content to reinforce consumers' desire to 'do the right thing'."
With three weeks remaining to mid-term elections, a new Bloomberg poll shows that voters are unhappy with both parties. Despite their unpopularity, the GOP appears to have the edge heading into the elections. Political science department chair Graham Wilson offers the following view:
"Much research on public opinion takes a dim view of the average citizen. Here's more evidence to support that view:
"Cut the deficit but don't cut any major program. We hate the health care law except for the part - requiring everyone to have insurance - that might save the average citizen money. And then end by attacking American politics.
"Perhaps the American voter should revisit Shakespeare: The fault dear Brutus is not in the stars but in ourselves."
A new educational program announced today between The Boston Globeand Boston University's College of Communication (COM), will enable BU journalism students to cover Boston-area neighborhood and town news for Boston.com's "Your Town" websites as part of their studies within COM.
According to a press release, the new program will launch later this fall and will be coordinated by BU professors and Globe editors. "Your Town" sites act as digital town centers, offering a highly localized news experience for readers.
Tom Fiedler, dean of COM, said the agreement expands the school's commitment to providing students with real reporting experience while supplying in-depth coverage of news affecting the greater Boston area.
"This program offers benefits for both community residents, who gain from increased news and information about their neighborhoods, and our students, who learn journalism by doing it under the guidance of our faculty andGlobe editors," Fiedler said in the release.
The White House announced that President Obama will use a "pocket veto" on a bill that would make it easier for banks and other lenders to foreclose on homeowners. Political science department chair Graham Wilson offers the following view:
"Vetoing a measure speeding up foreclosures must feel like taking a stand for apple pie and motherhood."
